African Reed Cormorant by Nigel Forshaw CNC 2026
Today, on the International Day for Biological Diversity, we congratulate all our members who actively participated in this year’s Global City Nature Challenge. Meerkats, Cubs, Scouts, Rovers and Scouters from across the country worked together to document biodiversity in their communities, helping to place Scouting firmly on the biodiversity map through meaningful citizen science.
Nationally, SCOUTS SA members contributed 12.5% of all public observations recorded, an outstanding achievement that highlights the impact young people can make when empowered to explore, observe, and protect the natural world. A total of 722 SCOUTS South Africa members took part, collectively recording 14,654 biodiversity observations, documenting 2,515 species, and contributing meaningfully to conservation awareness and scientific data collection.
“It was wonderful to see how many SCOUTS SA members took part in and embraced the City Nature Challenge (CNC) once again. The CNC is a citizen science project which affords Meerkat, Cubs, Scouts, Rovers, and Scouters the opportunity to become more aware of our surroundings and natural history to the benefit of science in a fun and learning-by-doing way”, says SCOUTS SA’s National CNC Coordinator Nigel Forshaw.
The table below reflects how SCOUTS SA members embraced their role as citizen scientists:
| 2026 | Scout Observations | Species | Observers | Qualify for badge | Total Obs. (Public) | % Scouts SA |
| Eastern Cape | 403 | 256 | 23 | 18 | 16652 | 2.4 |
| Free State | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 560 | 0.7 |
| Gauteng | 1264 | 504 | 92 | 54 | 8595 | 14.7 |
| KZN | 399 | 245 | 40 | 21 | 27354 | 1.5 |
| Limpopo | 16 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 4217 | 0.4 |
| Mpumalanga | 12 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 886 | 1.4 |
| North West | 49 | 43 | 6 | 2 | 1343 | 3.6 |
| Northern Cape | 8 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 703 | 1.1 |
| SCOUTS SA | 14654 | 2515 | 722 | >500 | 117394 | 12.5 |
| Western Cape | 12425 | 1969 | 560 | 454 | 57082 | 21.8 |
Zaharah Kayle, CNC 2026
If we take the Western Cape Region as an example, the Region once again demonstrated exceptional participation in the challenge. SCOUTS SA members submitted 12,425 observations, accounting for 21.8% of all observations made in the province, with 560 Scouts participating and documenting 1,969 species. The Western Cape continues to lead the way, having built momentum since first participating in the challenge in 2019, demonstrating the Region’s sustained commitment to biodiversity and environmental action.
The Gauteng Region also delivered an outstanding contribution, with 92 SCOUTS SA members making 1,264 observations, representing 14.7% of all observations in the province. over 500 species were documented.
Meanwhile, members within the Eastern Cape South, KwaZulu-Natal, North West, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Free State, and Northern Cape Scout Regions all played their part in strengthening Scouting’s contribution to citizen science.
Notably, the Eastern Cape South Region’s participation stood out for species diversity, with 256 species recorded from 403 observations, indicating strong biodiversity representation.
A huge well done to every Meerkat, Cub, Scout, Rover and Scouter who participated in this year’s City Nature Challenge!